2000
#88,461
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 195
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.07
Very Rare Last name
Pius
A name meaning "pious" or "devout", often taken by popes.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 413 Americans carry the last name Pius. That puts it at #60,433 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.12 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 829,914 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pius surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
413
1 in 829,914
Census rank
#60,433
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
360
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 360 bearers of the surname Pius in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.12 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 60433rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pius, the largest self-reported group is White at 47.8%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (28.6%) and Black (17.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pius
The surname PIUS originates from the Latin language and can be traced back to ancient Rome. It was initially used as a cognomen, a third name given to Romans to denote a personal characteristic or achievement. PIUS translates to "dutiful," "pious," or "devout" in English.
In the early days of the Roman Empire, the name PIUS was bestowed upon individuals who displayed exceptional devotion to their family, religion, or the state. One of the earliest recorded examples is the Roman Emperor Antoninus Pius, who ruled from 138 to 161 AD. He earned the cognomen PIUS for his benevolence and respect for tradition.
As the Roman Empire expanded, the name PIUS spread across Europe and became a common surname among those influenced by Latin culture. It is prevalent in regions with strong ties to the Roman Catholic Church, such as Italy, Spain, and Portugal.
During the Middle Ages, the name PIUS appeared in various historical records, including monastic chronicles and ecclesiastical documents. One notable bearer was Pope Pius II, born Enea Silvio Piccolomini in 1405, who served as the head of the Catholic Church from 1458 until his death in 1464.
Another prominent figure was the humanist scholar and poet Pietro Bembo, born in 1470, whose full name was Pietro Bembo PIUS. He was a prominent figure in the Renaissance and served as a cardinal and the Vatican's official historian.
In the 16th century, the name PIUS gained further prominence with the election of Pope Pius V (1504-1572), who is remembered for his efforts to reform the Catholic Church and his unwavering stance against Protestantism during the Counter-Reformation.
Other notable individuals with the surname PIUS include the Italian Jesuit missionary and explorer Matteo Ricci (1552-1610), who played a significant role in introducing Christianity to China, and the Italian composer and violinist Giuseppe Tartini (1692-1770), known for his innovative compositions and violin techniques.
The variations in spelling and pronunciation of the surname PIUS can be observed across different regions and languages. In some areas, it may be spelled as PIOUS, PIOS, or PIOZ, reflecting local linguistic influences and dialects.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pius
Among Census respondents with the surname Pius, the largest self-reported group is White at 47.8%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (28.6%) and Black (17.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Pius bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Pius surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White47.8% · 172
- Asian and Pacific Islander28.6% · 103
- Black or African American17.2% · 62
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 13
- Two or more races2.8% · 10
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pius
Pius appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#66,931
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 295
+100 bearers (+51.3%)
Per 100,000 0.10
Rank movement Up 21,530 places
2020
#60,433
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 360
+65 bearers (+22.0%)
Per 100,000 0.12
Rank movement Up 6,498 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #88,461 | 195 | 0.07 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #66,931 | 295 | 0.10 | +100 bearers (+51.3%) | Up 21,530 places |
| 2020 | #60,433 | 360 | 0.12 | +65 bearers (+22.0%) | Up 6,498 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Pius surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #66,931 | #60,433 | 9.7% |
| Count | 295 | 360 | 22.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.10 | 0.12 | 20.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pius bearers went from 295 to 360 (+22.0% change). The surname moved up 6,498 positions in the national ranking, going from #66,931 to #60,433.
FAQ
Pius surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pius?
Name Census estimates that about 413 living Americans carry the surname Pius. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 829,914 residents.
How common is Pius?
Pius ranks #60,433 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.12 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 360 people with the surname Pius. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (413), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.12 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.12 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Pius.
Has Pius become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pius went from 295 recorded bearers to 360. That is an increase of 65 (+22.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #66,931 to #60,433.
What does the Census say about the background of Pius?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pius, the largest self-reported group is White at 47.8%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (28.6%) and Black (17.2%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Pius in the 2020 Census, accounting for 47.8% (172 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pius appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (47.8%), Asian/Pacific Islander (28.6%), Black (17.2%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Pius (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Pius mean?
A name meaning "pious" or "devout", often taken by popes. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Pius (0.12 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname Pius?
If you just want to know how many people have the surname Pius, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.